Showing posts with label japanese cakes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label japanese cakes. Show all posts

Monday, February 25, 2008

EEeeeeeeEEEeeeEEeeeEeeels...

Unagi-don/eel rice bowl. Apparently I have a penchant for poor/country folk comfort foods (see entry on canh chua rau day and whatnot...). I caught the eel with my bare-muscled-hands. The little bastards eluded me numerous times, but just before day's end, one of them darted in my periphery and like a gazelle--or something really crazy phonetically, maybe OCELOT--i went for it and here you have....MY UNAGI RICE BOWL with the...pickled...daikon...or something. BEHOLD:
I frolicked home with the eel in my little reed basket. (I keep thinking of the poem "L'Anguila" or whatever the crap it was called--about the eel in Italian Lit). Anyhoodle, the wild daikon that grows (yellow and pickled natrually) in my backyard yielded magnificent perfectly cut wedges (as if bought at a store and cut with a very sharp Wusthof knife!).
We had seaweed salad also but I don't think you'd really give a shizz about it. BUT we did have dessert: a green tea swiss roll. with red beans inside. mmmmMMmmMmMmm.
Ever since I was little I loved the swiss roll cakes--given the french influences growing up (briefly) in Viet Nam we had a lot of yule logs for "father Noel" and all that crap and wandered off to get a eucharist one xmas when I was 5 b/c I was curious as to what people were waiting in line for. I was promptly plucked out of the line when they noticed I had gone a bit..missing.

Mike & I had also picked up some "aloe soft drink" (non carbonated) from the JasMart and he had to be fancy and drink it in a wineglass whereas the uncouth beast that I am chugged it out of the bottle.Analysis:

1. Green tea swiss roll = moist, light, a little crumbly, but adequately intense in green-tea flavor, not so sugary, red beans add a nice flavor and texture. BUENO (this is from the-prepackaged refridgerator section of JasMart).

2. Frozen Unagi = meh! for 5 bucks it could serve 3-4 people. This I got at the Sunrise...mart...thing in Soho (broome & spring?--I'll activate links later). You could oven bake it, microwave, or boil in the bag. I'd say for 5 bucks it makes a good alternative to a $12-$18 rice bowl. I didn't make the egg thing but whatever that's easy to put in some other time. The texture was a little flakey but still very soft--at Tono Sushi or Tokyo Pop and a couple other places, the unagi is broiled lova-ly and it just...melts in yo mouf! There was frozen unagi that sold for $11 per filet as opposed to my $5--this might just make up for the difference in texture.

3. Aloe drink = ...? I'm just conflicted b/c the bodega under my apt sells the Korean aloe drink and it's a little sweeter but yummy too--a little cleaner/crisper in taste. The one I go at Jasmart u can taste the artificial sweetener tho it's lighter. BUT--the one at Jasmart sells for 2 bucks whereas the bodega sells it for FOH DOLLAH! >:( I'll buy both :)

Monday, September 24, 2007

Khyber Pass + JASmart's Relaxation Cake...

...was near St. Mark's today dropping off my old powerbook to Julia @ Cooper's Square...decided to go for a little solo dinner as is my way when I want a little rejuvenation...

Last time I went to Khyber Pass (afghani food) was with Michael sometime in May or June this year--it was really empty, and for St Mark's well...that's just pretty damn surprising [granted it was a Sunday]. The food then was great, the service then was shit...both of which remained the same this time around.

I got the Shireen Palow: saffron rice with citrus zest, almonds, and pistachio with Cornish hen (kebab style). Also had dill with parsley, and some kind of spices maybe paprika. The Cornish hen is/was tender, moist inside, outside perfectly browned, golden and glistening. Hint of lemon, onions slightly cooked was also sweet but it contrasted with the sweetness from the saffron rice. Big notice was the almond flavor, and how good the citrus zest was--didn't have that bite/kick to it anymore, just almost like a candied feel.

Went to JASmart after and perused the sweets section as always. Saw this version of those little swiss rolls/cakes they always have and are always a go. Caught my eye b/c it reminded me of the 20 layer crepe cake @ Lady M's on the UES when Mike & I went up on our fancy-cakes hunt (I always eat well when Michael visits haha--and end up buying expensive shoes ;)) Now back to the JASmart cake...

I'm gonna need u to click on this and read what it says...it's almost "engrish.com" worthy, but a little more poignant and encouraging :P...